Scientific event

Summary of the seminar
This round table proposes to explore, in a nuanced manner, how spiritual traditions—particularly Sufism in its Islamic and Christian contexts—rethink the relationship to the Other at the heart of social life. It is structured around an essential question: is Sufism limited to promoting a moral discourse on tolerance, or does it offer concrete ways of living out difference and building a peaceful coexistence in daily life? The guiding idea is that, far from being reduced to a mere acceptance of the other, tolerance here becomes a living relationship, both ethical and existential, embodied in social practices.
From this perspective, tolerance is not understood as a passive attitude of "enduring" difference, but as an active way of rethinking it to avoid exclusion. Similarly, peaceful coexistence is not reduced to the absence of conflict: it is built through ordinary gestures, through generosity, mediation, and the concrete recognition of the other. Philosophical reflections shed light on this dynamic. Thus, in Ibn ‘Arabî’s thought, tolerance is rooted in a vision of truth that combines unity and diversity: a single origin, but multiple manifestations. This conception allows for the embrace of difference without denying it, paving the way for what might be called an "existential tolerance." Conversely, in Augustine’s view, peace rests on an "order of charity," where harmony arises from an arrangement of relationships centered on a single spiritual truth, giving rise to a more structured form of coexistence.

Yet, these ideas do not remain abstract. Spiritual experiences show that tolerance and living together are also built through practice: dhikr, samā‘, or hospitality are not mere rituals, but moments where bonds are woven, and where the boundaries between self and other become more flexible. They give rise to genuine "sensitive communities," where peace is experienced as a lifestyle, shaped by forgiveness, welcome, and openness.
In this sense, spirituality emerges as a powerful factor for social cohesion. It fosters forms of solidarity, in the sense of Émile Durkheim, and helps soothe tensions. It also generates symbolic capital based on moral recognition and generosity, as demonstrated by Pierre Bourdieu. "Men of virtue and generosity" then play an essential role: they transmit values, perpetuate a memory of love, and act as mediators within society.
Thus, spiritual experience does not merely produce a discourse on tolerance: it shapes a way of living together, where difference is integrated rather than excluded, and where peace becomes a daily practice.
However, a certain critical distance must be maintained. These forms of coexistence remain tied to specific historical and social contexts. They do not rely on the abstract legal and philosophical frameworks of modern societies, but rather on ethical and symbolic balances that are sometimes fragile and evolving. Hence an important question: to what extent can these experiences inspire, today, more institutionalized models of living together?